ANIMAL AND PHENOTYPING CORE - PROJECT SUMMARY The JAX NSC has a strong history in providing diverse animal resources to enhance research in the genetics of aging. These resources include >30 common inbred strains for which the JAX NSC freely provided lifespan and comprehensive healthspan data via the interactive Mouse Phenome Database, substantially increasing the value of these common laboratory strains in aging research; large-scale two- and four-way crosses to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) regulating lifespan and multiple healthspan parameters; and Diversity Outbred (DO) mice, a high resolution genetic mapping population developed by JAX NSC PI Dr. Gary Churchill that promises to finally efficiently bridge the gap between QTL detection and identification of the underlying, causative quantitative trait gene. In the previous funding period, the JAX NSC included two cores, the Animal Core and the Healthspan Core. Both were highly successful and were utilized by many investigators. However, these cores are so closely intertwined by their very nature that we have now combined them into one core, The ?Animal and Phenotyping? Core. The Specific Aims of the Animal and Phenotyping Core are to: Aim 1. Develop unique animal resources to support aging research. Aim 2. Enable characterization of these animal resources by providing robust and novel phenotyping assays relevant to human lifespan and healthspan as well as relevant tissue samples. Aim 3. Coordinate with the Translational Core to obtain knockout (KO) models for lifespan studies. Aim 4. Coordinate with the Data and Statistical Core to analyze data and streamline dissemination efforts to the aging community.